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“Really, it’s wonderful,” Marshall beams, coming to his wife’s side.
“Thanks, Dad,” Maxwell grins, reaching out to hug his father tight, then thumping each other on the back in a very manly embrace.
I am practically overwhelmed by their show of support, and I understand that there is an undercurrent of meaning here, that they are sorry for how things went last time. That they accept me. That they accept us.
“You see? I told you it would be all right,” Maxwell announces with a smirk when we are back at my apartment.
“You did,” I agree cautiously. “And what did you have to do to make that happen? Threaten to cut them off?”
“Oh, I think you underestimate them,” he scoffs. “My parents are very decent people, given the right motivation. A little coaching maybe. They’re going to love you very much. Not as much as me, but…”
“Oh, that’s a relief,” I smile, curling myself into his strong arms again, my favorite place to be.
In moments, his embrace begins to strengthen and he pulls me up, his lips seeking mine. Though I was tired just moments ago, suddenly I am invigorated again. Being close to his body energizes me somehow. I love the feeling of aligning myself with him. I know that every time I brush against him, I will find new depths of pleasure to explore.
Though we are still parked in his parents’ driveway, I simply can’t wait anymore. When he opens my car door, I duck in but I drag him with me, straight into the back seat. It might be childis
h, but making out in the back seat of my fiancé’s hot rod is something I’m completely entitled to, and now that I know I’m worth it, I plan on getting everything I deserve.
Epilogue
Maxwell
The elevator doors open, and I have to smile again. Every time that I see the brushed silver sign that reads “Kent-Goring Commercial Properties” I get a flush of pride.
The renovation took months, but it was totally worth it. Instead of a bunch of stuffy offices around the outside and a bunch of cubicles nobody wants around the inside, now we have open spaces with shared desks and ergonomic chairs. Everybody has a laptop or an iPad to work on, so there’s no reason to assign people cubicles.
Since we spend so much time meeting clients, it just makes sense to let people be where they are comfortable. We have several lounges and meeting rooms now, all outfitted with updated technology and the fastest Wi-Fi outside of the CIA. The desk phones were all recycled since absolutely nobody wanted our donation.
But even with the changes, I made sure that there was still a corner office and that Clarissa took it. She didn’t want it, of course. She barely wanted her name on the sign. I tried to convince her to put her name first, but of course she was never going to let that happen. Eventually she agreed to both of our names, with a hyphen. That was the most I could manage.
But the corner office is special. Not the way Lou had it, but updated. It signifies her importance and it reminds her of just how hard she has worked, and how much she is worth. Decorated in subdued shades of blue and turquoise, it is a beautiful space. Not too luxurious but not too spare, either. Comfortable, with a pullout sofa and blackout blinds, for obvious reasons.
The sound of music reaches me quickly, and I head for the closest conversation room. Everyone is gathered here for our grand reopening party, smiling and laughing with glasses of expensive champagne for everybody.
Before she sees me, I stop and lean on the partition. I like to watch her when she doesn’t know I am doing it. Here she is, in her element. No longer at the bottom rung of the ladder. She climbed all the way to the top. Even Fred has to treat her with the respect she deserves now.
Of course she doesn’t hold a grudge, but I do. Fred just doesn’t make the criteria for promotion. And he never will. Poor guy.
“Love what you’ve done with the place,” comes a voice from behind me.
“Lou!” I smile as I turn around.
Before I can shake his hand, Sunny sails between us, demanding her cheek kisses first.
“Maxwell, love, you look gorgeous!” she smiles at me, her silvery hair in a single braid over one shoulder. “Being engaged agrees with you.”
“I owe it all to you,” I admit, because I know she loves it.
She just sniffs regally and turns around, looping her hand through Lou’s elbow. They drift past me toward the party without another word and I just stand there, speechless for a moment. Landry finally rescues me, pushing a stroller.
“Are you the one who sent him up there for her?” Landry smirks.
“I guess so?” I shrug. “I have to admit I am glad they connected.”
“Yeah, like that was an accident! One day, he just ‘happened’ to run into her at the grocery store. Imagine that!”
“Imagine that,” I repeat with a smile.
